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maryanne6828's review
5.0
Beautifully written. A Printz Award for sure. Historical fiction at its best. Two girls from two different castes in life, but are they really so different?
caitcoy's review
4.0
As my family is Welsh, I knew some of the history behind this one, the harsh taxation and bad treatment of the Welsh in the 13th century by their new English overlords. But I was seriously impressed at how compelling the author made both Cecily, the arrogant English girl, and Gwenhwyfar, the Welsh servant. Cecily and her father move from England to Caernarvon in Wales so that her father can become a burgess there. Gwenhwyfar is a Welsh resident of Caernarvon whose family served the defeated Welsh prince who was killed by the English and therefore has lost everything. Cecily is so bratty at the beginning that you want to hate her but you come to understand her and even sympathize and Gwenhwyfar is so strong and independent, I couldn't help but love her. Cecily and Gwenhwyfar are rarely sympathetic to each other but I loved that by the end, they understood each other. I was also happy to see a note at the end explaining the history behind the fiction. Very, very well done historical fiction for YA and I would certainly recommend it to fans of YA and historical fiction but as fair warning, it gets pretty intense.
jennchandler's review
3.0
I did not particularly like this. It was interesting, seeing two sides of the same story. Most of the time, however, there is nothing to like about either of the main characters. Also, the setup of the book was confusing at first.
waclements7's review
3.0
The Wicked and the Just by J. Anderson Coats
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children’s Book Group
Pub. Date: 4/17/2012
eBook courtesy of NetGalley
***Does contain spoilers***
The Wicked and the Just takes place in Wales during the late 13th Century, a period of time during which the English were “expanding” into new territory and forcing the Welsh into being governed by the English King. As is usually the case with oppressed individuals being told their loyalty is now to a foreign King, events simmer under the noses of the English who govern the Welsh, in the town of Caernarvon in this case, until eventually erupting into an explosion.
This is the town a young girl/young woman, Cecily, goes to live in when her father is given a position there. She regards it as temporary, until her Uncle dies and she and her father can return to England to the house and land she believes are properly theirs. Thrust into a place where even the language is incomprehensible to her, she is at loose ends. Cecily is a character that is sometimes very hard to like—she can be kind one moment and then terrible the next. She doesn’t understand the politics behind why life is the way it is in Caernarvon, that the young woman who is her servant was once just as proud and free as Cecily but is now living at Cecily’s whim. Gwenhwyfar is the flip side of Cecily, Gwynhyfar the oppressed, Cecily the oppressor. Cecily’s age is unclear, but in the 13th century, girls were treated as women much earlier than they are now. Cecily is a girl trying hard to be a woman but not succeeding. She is selfish and mostly blind to the plight of those around her. If she does see some wrong, she will sometimes address it, but sometimes will not even question it.
Gwenhwyfar, on the other hand, has been forced into reality and adulthood very early on. She and her younger brother Gruffydd have only each other—their mother is slowly dying through the course of the book. Their father has already died fighting the insurgence against the English when they originally occupied Caernarvon. Gwenhwyfar, aka Gwinny, has known what it is like to be the one at the top of the rungs as well. She knows exactly what is going on in Caernarvon, and is frustrated and worried that her brother Gruffydd’s involvement in rebellious groups will more than likely get him killed, the same thing that happened to their father.
An extreme example of Cecily’s self-indulgent, childish whims is her treatment of Gruffydd when he comes to work at their home and she recognizes him as the one who “looked” at her when she and her father first came to town—how dare a Welshman look at her, someone as low as him, daring to look at her. She treats him terribly and he ends up being terrified of her—she literally holds his life in her hands if she decides to complain to her father of him. The situation is more complicated than she realizes, and sends her and Gwinny into a tailspin of back and forth attempts at revenge, mostly on the part of Cecily setting out the cruelest tasks she can think of for Gwinny.
Cecily never quite sees what is wrong with the system in Caernarvon, that they aren’t taxed and the Welsh are, the Welsh have to pay a toll to get into the market, the English don’t. The Welsh are punished for any crime, where the English can literally get away with murder, especially if the person they’ve murdered is a Welshman. The English men rape the women and get away with it, something made painfully clear to her, and a situation Gwinny saves her from when the man in question starts to court Cecily.
When the Welsh do revolt, it is a hideous, bloody, and terrifying time. Cecily escapes, most of the English do not. Ironically, she is rescued by Gwinny and Gruffydd, the tables are turned, and Cecily is their slave, though she is allowed to send someone to try to contact her cousin to come and get her.
It is this experience, finally, that forces Cecily to finally understand and see what the English have done to the Welsh. Gwinny knows that the English will return, but hopefully they will be people who “see” as Cecily does now.
Cecily is presented at the end of the book as a young woman who has changed and been forced to grow. It is sad that the situation around her had to reach such an extreme peak before she could change. Gwinny, in the sections from her point of view, calls her “the brat,” and she is absolutely correct. It makes it hard to like her, connect with her, or identify with her. I do think it would have been easier if the sections coming from different characters’ points of view had been indicated, those are the sections of the characters I felt for the most. These characters, from whose point of view we see so little, are easier to identify with and care for than Cecily is. When I saw the world through Gwinny’s eyes, it only casts Cecily in an even worse light.
I have read books where the protagonist isn’t necessarily a very nice person, but as a reader I would struggle and try to find some redeeming qualities somewhere. Cecily does have a few of those moments, but not enough of them to make me like her better at the end of the book, or even feel badly for the way she is treated by Gwinny. I kept hoping I would like her, that she would do something bold and daring, but I think in the end she is most likely an accurate portrayal of many of the girls in her situation. By the end, it was truly a puzzling question—who was wicked and who was just? It seems as though the answer is no one. If that was Coats’ intention, then the book was very successful at carrying the point across—I felt a little numb at the end of it. Horrified to know that this took place, sickened by the politics that brought it about, while admiring the fact that Coats managed to evoke those emotions so effectively.
Maybe I am out of touch with other books specifically aimed at this age with similar content, and I know children are exposed to a much wider spectrum of violence that I was at 12, but I question the recommend age given in the book. If this were a movie, I think it could very possibly, given some of the situations (rape, beatings, hangings, the revolution at the end), be rated R. This is largely due to the level of description. I do know that I have read other books aimed at this age range that depicted similar types of events but not in such detail. I don’t disagree with the detail at all, just the recommended age.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children’s Book Group
Pub. Date: 4/17/2012
eBook courtesy of NetGalley
***Does contain spoilers***
The Wicked and the Just takes place in Wales during the late 13th Century, a period of time during which the English were “expanding” into new territory and forcing the Welsh into being governed by the English King. As is usually the case with oppressed individuals being told their loyalty is now to a foreign King, events simmer under the noses of the English who govern the Welsh, in the town of Caernarvon in this case, until eventually erupting into an explosion.
This is the town a young girl/young woman, Cecily, goes to live in when her father is given a position there. She regards it as temporary, until her Uncle dies and she and her father can return to England to the house and land she believes are properly theirs. Thrust into a place where even the language is incomprehensible to her, she is at loose ends. Cecily is a character that is sometimes very hard to like—she can be kind one moment and then terrible the next. She doesn’t understand the politics behind why life is the way it is in Caernarvon, that the young woman who is her servant was once just as proud and free as Cecily but is now living at Cecily’s whim. Gwenhwyfar is the flip side of Cecily, Gwynhyfar the oppressed, Cecily the oppressor. Cecily’s age is unclear, but in the 13th century, girls were treated as women much earlier than they are now. Cecily is a girl trying hard to be a woman but not succeeding. She is selfish and mostly blind to the plight of those around her. If she does see some wrong, she will sometimes address it, but sometimes will not even question it.
Gwenhwyfar, on the other hand, has been forced into reality and adulthood very early on. She and her younger brother Gruffydd have only each other—their mother is slowly dying through the course of the book. Their father has already died fighting the insurgence against the English when they originally occupied Caernarvon. Gwenhwyfar, aka Gwinny, has known what it is like to be the one at the top of the rungs as well. She knows exactly what is going on in Caernarvon, and is frustrated and worried that her brother Gruffydd’s involvement in rebellious groups will more than likely get him killed, the same thing that happened to their father.
An extreme example of Cecily’s self-indulgent, childish whims is her treatment of Gruffydd when he comes to work at their home and she recognizes him as the one who “looked” at her when she and her father first came to town—how dare a Welshman look at her, someone as low as him, daring to look at her. She treats him terribly and he ends up being terrified of her—she literally holds his life in her hands if she decides to complain to her father of him. The situation is more complicated than she realizes, and sends her and Gwinny into a tailspin of back and forth attempts at revenge, mostly on the part of Cecily setting out the cruelest tasks she can think of for Gwinny.
Cecily never quite sees what is wrong with the system in Caernarvon, that they aren’t taxed and the Welsh are, the Welsh have to pay a toll to get into the market, the English don’t. The Welsh are punished for any crime, where the English can literally get away with murder, especially if the person they’ve murdered is a Welshman. The English men rape the women and get away with it, something made painfully clear to her, and a situation Gwinny saves her from when the man in question starts to court Cecily.
When the Welsh do revolt, it is a hideous, bloody, and terrifying time. Cecily escapes, most of the English do not. Ironically, she is rescued by Gwinny and Gruffydd, the tables are turned, and Cecily is their slave, though she is allowed to send someone to try to contact her cousin to come and get her.
It is this experience, finally, that forces Cecily to finally understand and see what the English have done to the Welsh. Gwinny knows that the English will return, but hopefully they will be people who “see” as Cecily does now.
Cecily is presented at the end of the book as a young woman who has changed and been forced to grow. It is sad that the situation around her had to reach such an extreme peak before she could change. Gwinny, in the sections from her point of view, calls her “the brat,” and she is absolutely correct. It makes it hard to like her, connect with her, or identify with her. I do think it would have been easier if the sections coming from different characters’ points of view had been indicated, those are the sections of the characters I felt for the most. These characters, from whose point of view we see so little, are easier to identify with and care for than Cecily is. When I saw the world through Gwinny’s eyes, it only casts Cecily in an even worse light.
I have read books where the protagonist isn’t necessarily a very nice person, but as a reader I would struggle and try to find some redeeming qualities somewhere. Cecily does have a few of those moments, but not enough of them to make me like her better at the end of the book, or even feel badly for the way she is treated by Gwinny. I kept hoping I would like her, that she would do something bold and daring, but I think in the end she is most likely an accurate portrayal of many of the girls in her situation. By the end, it was truly a puzzling question—who was wicked and who was just? It seems as though the answer is no one. If that was Coats’ intention, then the book was very successful at carrying the point across—I felt a little numb at the end of it. Horrified to know that this took place, sickened by the politics that brought it about, while admiring the fact that Coats managed to evoke those emotions so effectively.
Maybe I am out of touch with other books specifically aimed at this age with similar content, and I know children are exposed to a much wider spectrum of violence that I was at 12, but I question the recommend age given in the book. If this were a movie, I think it could very possibly, given some of the situations (rape, beatings, hangings, the revolution at the end), be rated R. This is largely due to the level of description. I do know that I have read other books aimed at this age range that depicted similar types of events but not in such detail. I don’t disagree with the detail at all, just the recommended age.
kiperoo's review
5.0
This book was on my TBR pile for far too long, but once I started, I simply couldn't stop reading. The historical details and gorgeous writing hooked me from the first page, and the two POVs were so distinct, making me root for both characters' opposite goals. So well done!
roseice's review
1.0
A bleak, vengeful, rage-sodden book. Not for its entirety, but it builds as the story goes, and by its ending refuses readers release from the negativity that permeates both narratives, Gwen's more so. This book was a downer, and on the whole, unpleasant to read for how it ends. It'd be worth two stars, if the ending had produced any fruit of what it was building up to the entire book, but it did not.
It did begin rather charming; Cecily was an interesting character, delightfully selfish and willing to speak her mind. But the book began to slow and sag, losing this charm by the middle, because it hadn't yet amounted to anything; I was waiting for something to happen. Waiting for the two povs to intersect in a meaningful way. Gwen is an immensely dislikable, hateful character. Cecily is awful in her own way, but Gwen's attacks against Cecily continue until the end, untempered, and I found her foul as a result. They "found common ground" but never decent relationship. Too much hatred and venom between them snatched any chance of reconciliation from them, and hence, any satisfaction for the reader. A terrible waste.
We read fiction for a reason; to dwell in it as it mirrors reality, but fiction is not, nor can it be, reality. This was a realistic depiction that broke many rules of contract with the reader, built us up to expectation, and did not deliver. I have no qualms with a dark and gritty read, so long as there is a measure of release from such tension and negativity in the end. A story is not a story without this necessary element. This book was downright depressing, and I regret reading it when I could have spent my time on better things.
Lastly, regarding the two povs, I have to add: Gwen's is written in a very irritating style, exempting pronouns. It's supposed to be as jarring and abrupt as Gwen is, but I just found it annoying and distracting. And in Cecily's pov, what's frustrating is she's tossed from one tiny scene to another, and nothing even happens in many of these scenes, so they seem so pointless. Largely, this book felt like a waste of time.
It did begin rather charming; Cecily was an interesting character, delightfully selfish and willing to speak her mind. But the book began to slow and sag, losing this charm by the middle, because it hadn't yet amounted to anything; I was waiting for something to happen. Waiting for the two povs to intersect in a meaningful way. Gwen is an immensely dislikable, hateful character. Cecily is awful in her own way, but Gwen's attacks against Cecily continue until the end, untempered, and I found her foul as a result. They "found common ground" but never decent relationship. Too much hatred and venom between them snatched any chance of reconciliation from them, and hence, any satisfaction for the reader. A terrible waste.
We read fiction for a reason; to dwell in it as it mirrors reality, but fiction is not, nor can it be, reality. This was a realistic depiction that broke many rules of contract with the reader, built us up to expectation, and did not deliver. I have no qualms with a dark and gritty read, so long as there is a measure of release from such tension and negativity in the end. A story is not a story without this necessary element. This book was downright depressing, and I regret reading it when I could have spent my time on better things.
Lastly, regarding the two povs, I have to add: Gwen's is written in a very irritating style, exempting pronouns. It's supposed to be as jarring and abrupt as Gwen is, but I just found it annoying and distracting. And in Cecily's pov, what's frustrating is she's tossed from one tiny scene to another, and nothing even happens in many of these scenes, so they seem so pointless. Largely, this book felt like a waste of time.
sarahjolioli's review
3.5
This was a surprisingly enjoyable book! I picked it up because I was intrigued by the idea of a story set in Wales at the end of the 13th century. I mean, what did I know about any of that? (Answer: basically nothing) but it turned out to be more than I expected!
Cecily is a snotty little English brat whose Father moves them to Wales, much to her dismay. Cecily might be bratty but she's also hilarious and a bit of a spitfire. I couldn't help but like her, despite her bad attitude.
"Gwinny" is a Welsh girl who is a housemaid in Cecily's townhouse, who has been through a lot of crap and is still going through a lot of crap. She refers to Cecily as just "the brat" but works hard to try and support her family.
The two girls don't end up BFFs, which I was surprised to find that I actually liked because it seemed more realistic, but they do grow and learn together and build a grudging respect for each other.
The pacing of the story was good (I never felt like it was dragging), and the writing was good but not super descriptive, so I never really felt like I was being sucked in to the story (with the exception of the last 50 or so pages). However, my lack of knowledge on the topic made the story that much more interesting for me. I actually read the historical background after the story (WHICH I NEVER DO) to learn a little more.
Cecily is a snotty little English brat whose Father moves them to Wales, much to her dismay. Cecily might be bratty but she's also hilarious and a bit of a spitfire. I couldn't help but like her, despite her bad attitude.
"Gwinny" is a Welsh girl who is a housemaid in Cecily's townhouse, who has been through a lot of crap and is still going through a lot of crap. She refers to Cecily as just "the brat" but works hard to try and support her family.
The pacing of the story was good (I never felt like it was dragging), and the writing was good but not super descriptive, so I never really felt like I was being sucked in to the story (with the exception of the last 50 or so pages). However, my lack of knowledge on the topic made the story that much more interesting for me. I actually read the historical background after the story (WHICH I NEVER DO) to learn a little more.
kytwins's review
4.0
I enjoyed this book. I liked the stark contrast in the perspectives of the two main characters. I wanted to sympathize with Cecily at the beginning of the book, but I found my sympathies pulled more toward Gwenhwyfar pretty early on and agreeing with Gwinny's assessment of "the brat." A gripping look at the harsh life in 13th century Wales, a setting I was not very familiar with,
missprint_'s review
3.0
Cecily's father ruins her life abruptly and irrevocably when he announces his plan to move them to Caernarvon in occupied Wales. The King needs good Englishmen to manage the newly-acquired Welsh lands and teach the primitive Welshman how to behave. Cecily wants none of it but at least she will finally be the lady of the house. Even if it is a house among barbarians.
Unfortunately for Cecily her initial misgivings about Wales are confirmed when she discovers the native Welsh speak something that barely sounds like a language as well as being impudent and rude. Though they are at least Christians--supposedly. In addition to being saddled with a surly Welsh servant girl she cannot dismiss, Cecily is also looked down upon by the local honesti who consider her little better than the Welsh peasants.
Gwenhwyfar is equally unhappy as servant to the brat. While she scrambles to find enough food for herself and her family, Gwenhwyfar watches Cecily leading the life that rightfully belongs to Gwenhwyfar and the other displaced Welshmen. The English took everything from Gwenhwyfar and her people. Now all she can do is watch and try not to starve.
As the English take and take, frustration grows among the Welsh. As tensions rise both Cecily and Gwenhwyfar will be caught up in the disastrous moment when the tension finally has to break and there will be justice for those who deserve it in The Wicked and the Just (2012) by J. Anderson Coats.
The Wicked and the Just is Coats' first novel.
Set in the years of 1293 and 1294 Coats expertly* captures a volatile period in history for Wales.
While I enjoy a great many historical novels, I usually do not gravitate toward medieval period books. In addition to being a period I know little about, it is also not always an area of high interest. That said, there was something about The Wicked and the Just that made me want to read it.
Perhaps you already know why 1293 marks an important time for Wales in history. I did not. I have to say going in knowing nothing save that Welsh is unpronounceable when I try to read it made for a dramatic finish to The Wicked and the Just. An ending, I might add, that completely took me by surprise.
With segments told from both Cecily and Gwenhwyfar's points of view, the book is well-rounded and examines the tensions within the Welsh town of Caernarvon from every angle. While that makes The Wicked and the Just an excellent look at the period, it does not make for many likable characters. Every character has redeeming qualities, but each one is also very nasty. There is justice for those who deserve it, but there is also name-calling, pettiness, and plain old cruelty along the way making for a mid-point where almost no character warrants much admiration.
Coats' ends the book with a historical note explaining the politics of the period that Cecily and Gwenhwyfar either ignored or only alluded to during the actual story. While historical events are explained and relatively resolved, much is left up in the air for the characters. While the lack of closure makes sense given the content of the story, I must admit it does leave quite a few questions about what happens to Cecily and Gwenhwyfar as well as some other secondary characters.
Coats' writing is clear and hauntingly evocative of the period in this story of many, many displaced people. As much as any book can, The Wicked and the Just brings medieval Wales to life.
*I'm not kidding when I say expertly. In addition to being a fellow Master of Library Science, Coats has a master's degree in history.
Possible Pairings: Black Potatoes by Susan Campbell Bartoletti, Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta, The Outlaws of Sherwood by Robin McKinley, Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan, Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
Unfortunately for Cecily her initial misgivings about Wales are confirmed when she discovers the native Welsh speak something that barely sounds like a language as well as being impudent and rude. Though they are at least Christians--supposedly. In addition to being saddled with a surly Welsh servant girl she cannot dismiss, Cecily is also looked down upon by the local honesti who consider her little better than the Welsh peasants.
Gwenhwyfar is equally unhappy as servant to the brat. While she scrambles to find enough food for herself and her family, Gwenhwyfar watches Cecily leading the life that rightfully belongs to Gwenhwyfar and the other displaced Welshmen. The English took everything from Gwenhwyfar and her people. Now all she can do is watch and try not to starve.
As the English take and take, frustration grows among the Welsh. As tensions rise both Cecily and Gwenhwyfar will be caught up in the disastrous moment when the tension finally has to break and there will be justice for those who deserve it in The Wicked and the Just (2012) by J. Anderson Coats.
The Wicked and the Just is Coats' first novel.
Set in the years of 1293 and 1294 Coats expertly* captures a volatile period in history for Wales.
While I enjoy a great many historical novels, I usually do not gravitate toward medieval period books. In addition to being a period I know little about, it is also not always an area of high interest. That said, there was something about The Wicked and the Just that made me want to read it.
Perhaps you already know why 1293 marks an important time for Wales in history. I did not. I have to say going in knowing nothing save that Welsh is unpronounceable when I try to read it made for a dramatic finish to The Wicked and the Just. An ending, I might add, that completely took me by surprise.
With segments told from both Cecily and Gwenhwyfar's points of view, the book is well-rounded and examines the tensions within the Welsh town of Caernarvon from every angle. While that makes The Wicked and the Just an excellent look at the period, it does not make for many likable characters. Every character has redeeming qualities, but each one is also very nasty. There is justice for those who deserve it, but there is also name-calling, pettiness, and plain old cruelty along the way making for a mid-point where almost no character warrants much admiration.
Coats' ends the book with a historical note explaining the politics of the period that Cecily and Gwenhwyfar either ignored or only alluded to during the actual story. While historical events are explained and relatively resolved, much is left up in the air for the characters. While the lack of closure makes sense given the content of the story, I must admit it does leave quite a few questions about what happens to Cecily and Gwenhwyfar as well as some other secondary characters.
Coats' writing is clear and hauntingly evocative of the period in this story of many, many displaced people. As much as any book can, The Wicked and the Just brings medieval Wales to life.
*I'm not kidding when I say expertly. In addition to being a fellow Master of Library Science, Coats has a master's degree in history.
Possible Pairings: Black Potatoes by Susan Campbell Bartoletti, Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta, The Outlaws of Sherwood by Robin McKinley, Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan, Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
pollyroth's review
I don't know if it's fair to judge a book after 27 pages... But I could not torture myself any longer. [b:The Wicked and the Just|12180253|The Wicked and the Just|J. Anderson Coats|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328908675s/12180253.jpg|15093451] is boring. Completely not exciting. There was nothing even slightly compelling within those first pages. All I got was a snobby narrator who I wished would fall into a ditch because she was so obnoxious.